The War Report

2012

Edited by Stuart Casey-Maslen

The first of a unique new series of annual reports on armed conflicts around the world

Provides a detailed and comprehensive analysis of each conflict in 2012, assessing its classification, belligerents, primary means and methods of warfare, applicable treaties and rules, and any allegations of war crimes

Analyses key legal developments and controversies that arose in 2012, including those related to drone strikes, forced displacement, Guantanamo Bay, and the case law of national and international courts

The War Report

2012

Edited by Stuart Casey-Maslen

Description

This is a comprehensive Report on every armed conflict which took place during 2012. It is the first of a new series of annual reports on armed conflicts across the globe, offering an unprecedented overview of the nature, range, and impact of these conflicts and the legal issues they create.

In Part I the Report describes its criteria for the identification and classification of armed conflicts under international law, and the legal consequences that flow from this classification. It sets out a list of armed conflicts in 2012, categorising each as international, non-international, or a military occupation, with estimates of civilian and military casualties. In Part II, each of these conflicts are examined in more detail, with an overview of the belligerents, means and methods of warfare, the applicable treaties and rules, and any prosecutions for, investigations into, or robust allegations of war crimes.

Part III of the Report provides detailed thematic analysis of key legal developments which arose in the context of these conflicts, allowing for a more in-depth reflection on cross-cutting questions and controversies. The topics under investigation in this Report include drone strikes, the use of explosive weapons, small arms, forced displacement of civilians, detention at Guantanamo Bay, and the enforcement of international humanitarian and criminal law in both national and international courts.

The Report gives a full and accessible overview of armed conflicts in 2012. It should be the first port of call for everyone working in the field.

The War Report

2012

Edited by Stuart Casey-Maslen

Table of Contents

Foreword, Elizabeth WilmshurstPart I: Overview SummaryWhat is an armed conflict?Part II: Individual Conflicts in 2012 Armed conflict between South Sudan and SudanArmed conflict between Pakistan and the USAMilitary occupation of Azerbaijan by ArmeniaMilitary occupation of Cyprus by TurkeyMilitary occupation of Eritrea by EthiopiaMilitary occupation of Georgia by RussiaMilitary occupation of Lebanon by IsraelMilitary occupation of Moldova by RussiaMilitary occupation of Palestine by IsraelMilitary occupation of Syria by IsraelMilitary occupation of Western Sahara by MoroccoArmed conflict in AfghanistanArmed conflict in Central African RepublicArmed conflict in ColombiaArmed conflict in the Democratic Republic of CongoArmed conflict in GazaArmed conflict in MaliArmed conflict in MexicoArmed conflict in MyanmarArmed conflict in the PhilippinesArmed conflict in SomaliaArmed conflict in SudanArmed conflict in SyriaArmed conflict in ThailandArmed conflict in TurkeyArmed conflict in YemenPart III: Key Themes Section A: Weapons 1. Drone strikes in Afghanistan, Gaza, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen in 2012, Alice Priddy and Stuart Casey-Maslen2. The use of explosive weapons in populated areas in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria in 2012, Maya Brehm3. Small arms and light weapons, the United Nations Plan of Action, and armed conflict, Sarah Parker and MireilleWidmerSection B: Methods of warfare 4. Forced displacement of civilians by parties to armed conflicts in 2012, Kate Halff and Stuart Casey-MaslenSection C: Detention 5. A decade of detention at Guantanamo Bay 2002-2012, Silvia SuteuSection D: Armed non-state actors and international norms 6. Armed non-state actors and jus in bello in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya, Mali, and Syria, Marina MattiroloSection E: The protection of vulnerable groups 7. Education as a 'battleground' in armed conflicts in 2012, Gilles Giacca and Tahmina KarimovaSection F: Judicial enforcement of international criminal and humanitarian law 8. National case law on international humanitarian and criminal law in 2012, Sharon Weill9. Jurisprudence in the ad hoc international criminal tribunals in 2012, Damien Scalia10. The implications of the Lubanga case for international law, Annyssa Bellal

The War Report

2012

Edited by Stuart Casey-Maslen

Author Information

Stuart Casey-Maslen, Head of Research, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

Dr Stuart Casey-Maslen is Head of Research at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. His research concerns international weapons law, international law and armed groups, and the qualification of armed conflicts. He has consulted and published widely on the international law of armed conflict, including Commentaries on Arms Control Treaties (OUP, 2005) and The Convention on Cluster Munitions: A Commentary (OUP, 2010).

The War Report

2012

Edited by Stuart Casey-Maslen

From Our Blog

By Stuart Casey-Maslen More than 9,500 people were killed in Mexico in 2012 as a result of armed violence, primarily as the result of conflict between the Sinaloa cartel, the Las Zetas gang, and the state. Tens of thousands of Mexican troops and police were involved in these conflicts, and more than 400 were killed during the year.